Will they rebuild Budapest entirely until 2030?

Hvg suggests that people in the capital must anticipate costly public investments until 2030. Making Budapest liveable and healthier are considered little. A conference was held on 16th October titled Budapest 2030, where the decisionmakers at Fidesz announced that the government and Budapest will create a developmental concept together, which they will execute until 2030.

The only problem is that Budapest already has such a plan, which was designed by urbanists and architects and was accepted by the Budapest General Assembly. Professionals design these plans with the most important urban development criteria in mind and approved by politicians.

The new idea suggests that politicians will write the developmental concepts with the criteria of the building industry’s lobby in mind.

Although they invited those non-governmental organisations that often take a stand in the affairs concerning Budapest (Levegő Munkacsoport [Air Workgroup], Magyar Kerékpárosklub [Hungarian Bicycle Club], Közlekedő Tömeg [Moving Mass] to name a few). However, they do not know if they – other than telling their opinion -, will have any function in the process of making decisions.

What does Fidesz Promise in Budapest until 2030?

To put it simply; as many large-scale public investments as possible.

It would be hard to recount it in more detail because the not much factual information was said about the projects yet. They will figure out the exact ideas shortly. In this process, the decisionmakers promised a conversation, but it was not possible to ask a question during the conference.

The railway tunnel between Déli and Nyugati railway stations, the complete modernization of the HÉV system, the execution of the first stage of Metro 5, the completion of the reconstruction of Metro 3 with the extension to Káposztásmegyer, as well as finishing the Liget-project and constructing the Galvani and Aquincum bridge were among the projects mentioned at the conference.

A new standard in Budapest: the Lord Mayor and the Government will become almighty

As outlined on the Budapest 2030 conference, two new institutions are to be established: The Council of Public Development, will be established in November and they already established in May the title of Government Commissioner for Budapest and its Agglomeration.

The Council of Public Development will have 5 members from Budapest and 5 members delegated by the government. Thus, the government’s agreement in the matter of developing the capital will be unavoidable.

Photo: budapest.hu

The concept is already there, but no one follows it

The Budapest General Assembly in 2013 accepted Tarlós’s (Lord Mayor of Budapest) concept about the development of Budapest until 2030. This document is still available and downloadable, but the caveat is that if someone followed the capital’s events of the past 5 years, can clearly see that they do not keep to the policy they themselves have accepted.

Without being too exhaustive, some of the strategies of the Budapest 2030 are the following: forming a coherent ’green-network’ alongside the Danube, the creation of healthy environmental conditions, the forming of new recreational areas, the renovation of existing landscapes and the suggestion of building of new structures in the ’brown-field’.

The campus of the National University of Public Service built-in Orczy-park, the Duna Arena, which was built in the place of the trees at Dagály Beach and the museum district that spreads on the park areas of Városliget are only a few examples of the change. These projects overlap with what was said on the conference approximately two weeks before.

Budapest also has a concept accepted in 2013, which is concerning the city’s transport development. This is also called the Balázs Mór-plan; which can be found on the website of BKK.

The Balázs Mór-plan envisions an 8% increase in bicycle users, a 5% increase in users of public transportation and 2% more pedestrians and henceforth, a 15% decrease in car traffic until 2030.

Yet, the transport policy of Budapest’s Lord Mayor, Tarlós accomplishes quite the opposite effect. Greenpeace’s study published in May shed some light on this topic, where they compared the transport policy of 13 European countries.

Tarlós will also run for the office of Mayor of Budapest next year. You can find the details HERE.